Select Local Merchants

At TomKelly's Chophouse and Pub, an emblazoned cloverleaf over the door may grant Irish luck to all who enter, but it?s the menu of Irish-inspired pub fare that leaves eyes (and stomachs) smiling. Emerald Isle dishes of corned beef and cabbage and shepherd's pie join American counterparts including pizzas bedecked with buffalo chicken and po boys topped with prime rib, grilled onions, and mozzarella cheese. While devouring Irish eats, guests can take in sporting events from 14 plasma TVs.

For casual American-style cuisine, burger-loving diners head to Chili's.
Dieters looking for low-fat options will be out of luck, though, as taste trumps caloric value here.
A night out deserves a drink to celebrate, and Chili's has the perfect selection of beer and wine to go with your meal.
Families will feel right at home at Chili's with its kid-friendly menu and atmosphere.
The happy hour at Chili's offers deals you won't want to miss.
Seating is readily available at Chili's for those with large parties.
Stay connected at no cost thanks to Chili's' wifi.
Be sure to call for a reservation if the restaurant is part of your weekend plans — it can get crowded on Fridays and Saturdays.
Jeans are just right for a meal at Chili's, which embraces a casual vibe.
Take the comfort of your own home and add great grub from Chili's to create the perfect night.
Getting your food to go is also an option.
Chili's offers free parking just steps away from the door.
Store your bike at one of the many racks outside of Chili's.
Expect your bill at Chili's to come in at around $30 per person.

Post Game Pub & Sedona Grille's upbeat crew slings hearty sandwiches, piping pizzas, and zesty wings from an extensive menu selection. Prevent bellies from roaring at children by savoring a Sedona-stuffed burger, a half-pound patty packed with onions, jalapeños and bacon, and coated with barbecue sauce ($8.95). Specialty pub wings don their breading, dive into in a deep fryer, sear on the grill, and sidle onto plates wearing a bold slathering of honey mustard, barbecue, or hot sauce ($6.95 for eight; $9.95 for 12). Diners can stage their own extreme Wheel of Fortune tournament by spinning a 12-inch pub pizza ($8.50+) and then demanding a trip to Barbados.

With a draft list as long as your arm and gourmet bar bites that pair perfectly with brews, Tribes Alehouse is perfect for the foodie and beer love alike.
Watching your diet? Stay on track at Tribes Alehouse, a local restaurant with gluten-free and low-fat options.
The bar at Tribes Alehouse is fully stocked, so pair your meal with a glass of wine or beer.
Gather the whole family for a trip to Tribes Alehouse — everyone will find something to like (even the pickiest little eater) on the menu here.
Surf the web from your tablet or laptop on Tribes Alehouse's complimentary wifi.
Musical guests frequently perform here, so patrons can enjoy live tunes with their food.
Weekend visitors to the restaurant are well advised to take advantage of the reservation system — crowds tend to pack the place on Fridays and Saturdays.
The dress code at Tribes Alehouse is as relaxed as the ambience, so wear whatever suits you.
Dining out isn't your only option here — pickup is available, too.
Score! Tribes Alehouse provides free parking to all diners in the lot next door.
The menu at Tribes Alehouse is reasonably priced, with most items costing less than $30.

Chicago Blu welcomes diners into its family-friendly eatery with live music and hearty bar fare. The menu revs up stomach engines with starters such as spicy southwest rolls stuffed with cheese and chicken and served with tangy ranch or sweet chili sauce ($7). Wrap tonsils around the Southside blu burger—a pretzel bun cradling a half-pound of charbroiled beef topped with bleu cheese and grilled onions ($8.50). Those who put pork on a pedestal can commission a replica of The Thinker made of bacon or can opt for a BBQ rib platter served with coleslaw and fries ($8.50/half rack, $16/whole rack). Entree salads can give grazers their fill of greenery ($9+), and a beer or a glass of wine from the full bar lubes up digestive tracks for the death by brownie dessert ($6).

Snack on tasty pub fare at Jameson's Pub, a local favorite.
The weekends are for going out for amazing combinations. Save the salad for the weekday and come grab a meal at Jameson's Pub.
For your viewing pleasure, Jameson's Pub also stocks TVs in the bar area.
Jameson's Pub is kid-friendly, so little ones are welcome to tag along.
Jameson's Pub is a suitable restaurant for both large and small groups.
Make the most of the warm summer months by dining outdoors in Jameson's Pub's beautiful outdoor seating area.
You may be better off finding a table during the week, as weekends at the bar tend to be packed.
No need for a wardrobe change when you hit Jameson's Pub — it's strictly casual.
Carry-out is also available for those who prefer to enjoy Jameson's Pub's cooking from the comfort of their own home.
Love the food so much you want to serve it at your next soiree? No problem — Jameson's Pub offers catering.
Jameson's Pub is just steps away from a parking lot.
A meal at Jameson's Pub will typically set you back about $30.
At Jameson's Pub, you have the option of paying by major credit card.

Groupon Guide

With shout-along melodies and song titles that reference the likes of Pee-wee’s Playhouse and local pet shops, Chicago four-piece the Peekaboos acts as a candy-colored megaphone for the inner children of its members and fans alike. A key force behind the band’s sound and aesthetic is Matthew Rogoski. In addition to laying down guitar, vocals, and the occasional synth line, he’s developed an instantly recognizable visual style for the band’s artwork—take, for instance, the smiling, slightly disheveled stuffed platypus on the cover of new self-released album Stay Positive. The Peekaboos recently celebrated its release—on randomly colored, swirled vinyl, naturally—with a party at Subterranean, joined by their friends in garage-rock band Bobcat Williams and bouncy-jangly Kangaroo. When he’s not playing shows, Matt stays busy bestowing his Day-Glo style on gig posters for other bands and making other musicians’ guitars fit to be shredded via his one-man guitar-repair shop, Weaponized Guitars.
We asked Matt to let us tag along via email for a weekend as he practiced, partied, worked, and cooked a mouthwatering hangover breakfast, complete with recipe. In his own words, here’s how he spent the weekend of June 21–24:
Friday night: After getting a few art projects in the bag, I jump halfway into it myself and head out to a show. Tonight, I go over to see a few friends at Township before heading to a drag party in Logan Square. I didn't dress up, but there was a man who resembled a hypnotic Jambi [of Pee-wee’s Playhouse – ed.] alongside more traditional (but no less impressive) drag queens who welcomed us quite generously.
Saturday morning: I wake up late, feeling the effects of other people's cheap taste in liquor. Not one to complain, I make the same breakfast that I make almost every single day:
2 medium potatoes seasoned with garlic, cumin, rosemary, dill, and sage
2 eggs steamed over medium on a bed of spinach with black pepper
3 slices of bacon
2 slices of toast
Not having a regular schedule, this really helps to ground myself. Steaming eggs on a bed of spinach is something my roommate Dan showed me—his parents emigrated from Iran, and this is the most delicious way anyone could ever carry on a legacy.
Saturday afternoon: I finish a flier for the Peekaboos show at Cole's—one of my favorite venues because of how welcoming it is. I've never been made to feel out of place by any of the staff, [and they have] great acts and better crowds. I'm not altogether happy with it, but schedules dictate a change of focus, so I pick up where I left off cleaning and restoring an old imported Fender-style bass. When it showed up at my door, it was covered in grime and black goo about 1/16th of an inch thick, but after a couple of hours with a razorblade a beautiful pattern shows on the neck. At some point this was somebody's baby, but now it needs a ridiculous amount of love.
Saturday night: Tonight I am biking to a friend’s birthday party in Logan Square. I never, never miss a party here, and even though the night ends up being milder than usual, I’m able to really unwind. Full of barbecue, we talk loudly, catch up, carry on, and otherwise have a good time. A bike ride home at 3 a.m. ends the night with nothing but pleasure preceding it.
Sunday morning: I wake up from a dream that unsettles me even though I cannot think of what it was about. ... I hum a tune in bed that I've been working on—a song which until this day would have only two lines—and mold it around the feeling I was stuck with after waking up.
After an hour in bed with my guitar, I go to my workshop desk to write and rearrange the words to match a structure. The initial fire that makes a song worth writing can disappear in a second if you don't accurately record it onto paper or an audio track. After a while, the skeleton emerges and I'm able to put the song up for now. Time to cook.
Sunday night: Around 5, I meet up with Michael Sunnycide, who plays drums in the Peekaboos. We waste some time with the good old Xbox until Koala Rob and Shannon Candy show up. For the next few hours, we work on the set for our release show. The week ends with some TV, a quick bowl of ramen at home, and my bed. Work keeps me company until I'm able to spend time with like-minded folks, and I couldn't chose another life if I wanted to.
Diary condensed and edited by Daphne Sidor.
Catch The Peekaboos in action: 10 p.m. on Friday, July 19, at Cole’s with Shiloh, The Joy Kills, and Post Child
Hear their new album, Stay Positive: Listen on Bandcamp or pick up a vinyl copy ($10) at any show.

Most music and drinking in Chicago happens in warm, dark clubs that can easily be sealed off from the long winter. You won’t find a lot of permanent outdoor stages. A few bars, though, let you get some fresh air and listen to music without having to stand all day next to an insufferable porta-potty reviewer at a music festival.
If you’ve taught your supercomputer everything except how to look cool:
Three Aces (Little Italy | 1321 W. Taylor St.)
There are probably thousands of gallons of tattoo ink displayed on various limbs at Three Aces on any sunny day. There’s also plenty of pomade, and the rockabilly bands playing on the sunny patio hidden by ranks of motorcycles seem right. It can be easy to get distracted from the people watching and music by a menu of pizzas served on warm slabs of wood and fries with bolognese sauce.
When the opener is using the word “heart” way too many times in one song:
Reggies (South Loop | 2105 S. State St.)
You can’t really hear whoever’s playing inside when you’re at Reggies’ rooftop bar, and it is easy to let way too much time slip past on a stream of beers from Three Floyds and Solemn Oath. I’ve had the sound guy come looking for me there when I was supposed to be tuning up. I even missed seeing half of a set by Anvil, the frumpiest Canadian metal band in history. None of that is time I consider wasted among similarly unconcerned folks playing pool and bags with a view that’s nice, but not distractingly nice.
When you want your cocktail’s ingredients to outnumber the people on the dance floor:
The Whistler (Logan Square | 2421 N. Milwaukee Ave.)
The Whistler feels sort of like a house party, but hosted by someone who makes all of their cocktails with egg whites and homemade bitters and says “sprig” a lot. That’s completed by an in-house music label with a selection of artists, from the Blue Ribbon Glee Club to The Hood Internet, that feels curated like a friend’s basement show. The space in front of the little stage will usually be crowded with other sweaty dancers, and you’ll definitely want to slip out to the patio, which has an appropriate backyard feel.
When your arms are tired from carrying around large beer lists:
Montrose Saloon (Albany Park | 2933 W. Montrose Ave.)
This place is often full of neighborhood locals, but you probably won’t be able to offend them by picking the wrong thing from a diminutive selection of beers. A healthy attitude toward day drinking means that you’ll probably end up following the sounds of a banjo out to the grassy patio or tossing horseshoes together either way.
When you want to see what Martha Stewart would do with a bunch of crazy paints and garbage:
Weeds (Lincoln Park | 1555 N. Dayton St.)
Owner Sergio Mayora told the Chicago Tribune pretty honestly how the aesthetic at Weeds came to be. “I went to my family for a loan and they said, ‘No way.’ So, I decorated the place, the only way I could afford, with garbage.” Live jazz, rock, and poetry readings are enhanced by a little scuzziness, but you can easily wander out through open doors to the sprawling patio if you get tired of hanging out beneath a clutter of old bras and Sharpie graffiti.

When he isn't pouring drinks at Silver Cloud Bar & Grill in Wicker Park, Archie Powell spends his nights churning out riffs on a Fender Mustang and howling into an amplified telephone receiver in his band Archie Powell & The Exports. Blending the pop sensibilities of Tom Petty with the distortion of The Clash and the energy of a beer-soaked tornado, the band packs Chicago's biggest venues, including the Metro and Subterranean. Although 2013 is shaping up to be a busy one for his band—the five-piece is in the process of booking an East Coast tour in the spring and studio time for their next album in the summer—Archie plans on spending the little spare time he has drinking Schlitz with friends and researching dinosaurs. A video for "Only So Much You Can Do" off the band's 2012 release Great Ideas in Action is due out in April.
Archie Powell’s Top Five
Favorite new artist he’s listening to on repeat: Metz, King Tuff, and Ty Segall
Book currently on his nightstand: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway, picked up in a thrift shop for 50 cents
Film currently flashing across his eyelids every time he closes them: The end of Jurassic Park when the T. rex takes down the two raptors
Favorite local bartender, where to find them, and favorite thing they make: Adam Export of Emporium Arcade Bar’s beer (with or without whiskey in it)
Where in town he’d get a drink with the musician of his choice: He’d play ping-pong with Nirvana’s bassist, Krist Novoselic, at Happy Village in Ukrainian Village